Var. discoideus.—Sparingly branched, prostrate or decumbent, rarely erect. Leaves very fleshy, obovate or spathulate, coarsely toothed or lobed, sometimes pinnatifid below. Heads large, ½–¾ in. diam.; rays wanting.—Mountain districts in the South Island.
Var. radiolatus, Kirk, Students' Fl. 341.—More or less pubescent. Lower leaves broad, membranous, narrowed into slender petioles, toothed or lobed or pinnatifid; upper sessile, auricled at the base. Heads ⅓–½ in., radiate; rays short, broad. Achenes very mucilaginous when soaked in warm water.—S. radiolatus, F. Muell. Veg. Chath. Is. 24, t. 4. Chatham Islands, H. H. Travers! Cox and Cockayne!
8. S. glaucophyllus, Cheesem. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxviii. (1896) 536.—Smooth and glaucous, perfectly glabrous, 1–3 ft. high. Rootstock stout, woody. Stems numerous, strongly grooved, simple or sparingly branched, naked at the base or with minute scale-like leaves only, leafy above. Leaves 2–4 in. long, ½–1 in. wide, oblanceolate or oblong-obovate or obovate-spathulate, obtuse or subacute, gradually narrowed into broad flat petioles, not dilated nor sheathing at the base, irregularly sinuate-dentate or serrate, rather thin, very glaucous; margins somewhat thickened. Upper leaves narrower, lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, serrate, gradually passing into narrow-linear entire bracts. Heads several in a loose terminal corymb, broadly campanulate, ⅓ in. diam.; involucral bracts linear, acuminate, 2-ribbed, glabrous or pilose at the tips. Eay-florets about 15; disc-florets numerous, Achenes not seen.—Kirk, Students' Fl. 343.
South Island: Nelson—Mount Arthur, on limestone rocks, alt. 4000 ft., T.F.C. January.
A very curious plant, its bushy mode of growth and glaucous leaves giving it a very different appearance to any of its allies. The stems appear to die down to the root in winter, a fresh crop appearing in the following spring. My specimens are in young flower only, and the above description may require modification when more perfect examples have been obtained.
9. S. latifolius, Banks and Sol. ex Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 145.—A tall erect much-branched glabrous herb 2–4 ft. high; stems flexuous, grooved. Leaves membranous, 2–8 in. long, very variable in shape; lower on long winged petioles with or without small toothed auricles at the base, blade broadly oblong or ovate-oblong to linear-oblong, toothed or lobulate or irregularly lyrate-pinnatifid; upper sessile, ovate-oblong to linear-oblong, coarsely toothed or lobed. often contracted below the middle and then expanding into broad toothed auricles; uppermost leaves linear-lanceolate, acute, serrate or dentate. Corymbs broad, lax, much branched; branches slender. Heads very numerous, ½–¾ in. diam.; involucral bracts in 1 series, linear, acuminate, glabrous or pubescent. Ray-florets 12–20; ligule narrow, spreading. Disc-florets 30–40. Achenes linear, grooved, hispidulous. Pappus-hairs soft, copious, white.—Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 159; Kirk, Students' Fl. 341.
